Welsh artist Nathan Wyburn wants to shine a light on the work Blaenau Gwent鈥檚 foster carers do, as The General offices in Ebbw Vale will also light up in orange this Foster Care Fortnight 漏.
While many of us have had family and friends there to support us during difficult times faced over the last year, many children and young people across Wales need that support more than ever before.
Now, as Foster Care Fortnight 漏鈥� a national awareness raising and recruitment campaign run by The Fostering Network 鈥� begins, Blaenau Gwent is calling on more people to consider fostering.
With this year鈥檚 theme being 鈥�#WhyWeCare鈥�, Welsh artist, Nathan Wyburn, who is known for his unique methods of creating art, has produced a piece using LED lights to help prove how any house can become a safe and loving home.
Nathan said, 鈥淚 was sent a poem that encompassed everything foster carers do in providing a brighter future for children across Wales and wanted to create something that champions them in the way they open the doors to their homes 鈥� and their hearts.
鈥淚 chose to turn those words into art with a piece that signifies a home being the literal light at the end of the tunnel for children and young people.
鈥淚 think one of the biggest myths around fostering is that you have to have a big house with a big garden to be a foster carer 鈥� and that鈥檚 just not true.鈥�
A video showing a time-lapse of the piece coming together and overlaid with said poem shows how the context of the art is unclear, 鈥淚t鈥檚 only when the lights are switched on, there is clarity,鈥� adds Nathan.
鈥淎 sense of possibility and positivity shines through!鈥�
Now people across Blaenau Gwent are being asked to show their support for Foster Care Fortnight 漏 by placing a lamp in their front window next Thursday (20th May) to 鈥榮hine a light鈥� on the work being done by Local Authority foster carers, and celebrate their efforts in transforming children and young people鈥檚 lives. Buildings across Wales, including The General offices in Ebbw Vale will also be lit up in orange to observe the remarkable work they do.
Cllr. John Mason, Blaenau Gwent Council鈥檚 Executive Member for Social Services said:
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be more proud of our Foster Carers here at Blaenau Gwent, especially through the challenging times that affected us all last year. The theme for this year鈥檚 campaign is #WhyWeCare and I can tell you first hand that having met some of our fantastic Carers and Children at previous fostering events it was so heart-warming to see the very personal connections that they have built up together.
I believe the 鈥榃hyWeCare message for Foster Care Fortnight 漏 2021 will give further support to the fostering community by giving them a voice to share their fostering journey with us.
I ask you all to show your support for Foster Care Fortnight 漏, by increasing awareness we can hopefully encourage more people to think about becoming Foster Carers.鈥�
Blaenau Gwent will be sharing content across their social media channels throughout Foster Care Fortnight 漏 to help more people understand and value fostering and the positive difference it can make to young people鈥檚 lives.
If you think you could make a difference by becoming a foster carer in Blaenau Gwent visit /en/resident/health-wellbeing-social-care/fostering/ telephone 01495357792 or 01495356037 or e mail FOSTERING@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk
Videos of Nathans artwork can be found on our social media pages below:
https://www.facebook.com/blaenaugwentcbc/videos/291840039244359
https://twitter.com/i/status/1391704327719424011